Bulletin of Sweet Briar College: Survey of Amherst County, Virginia

SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE

3 2449 0511126 7

Vol. VII.

AUGUST, 1924

BULLETIN

No. 6

Sweet Briar College

SWEET BRIAR, VIRGINIA

Survey of Amherst County, Virginia

Published by Sweet Briar Institute
November — January — April — J une

ARCHIVES

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1924

v.7,no.6

red as second-class matter at the post-offlce, Sweet Briar, Virginia

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The purpose of this survey is two-fold. First, we want to
locate and preserve the records and traditions of the past life of
Amherst County. This must be done soon if it is to be done
/at all, for the records are being relegated to the junk-heap and
the bonfire ; and the traditions are disappearing even more rapidly
before the new era. The history we wish to preserve is not only
the official record of the county, but the story of the every-day life
of its people, — their work, their play, their speech, thought and
customs. In short, we want to reconstruct, as best we can, the
history of the Country-side.

Second, we hope to bring to the attention of the people of
Amherst the need of the work. The outline is in no sense com-
plete or comprehensive. It is meant only to be suggestive and
perhaps to serve as a guide in the search for the material.

In conclusion, we want to urge on every person in the county
to cooperate with the committee in locating the sources of history,
and in helping them to preserve that "rich inheritance of noble
memories" which should be the property of all Americans.

Caroune L. Sparrow,

Professor of History at Sweet Briar College.

Ernest Sandidge,

Clerk of the Court, Amherst, Virginia.

, Committee.
Margaret Voorhees,

Amherst, Virginia.

Wieliam B. Dew,

Treasurer Sweet Briar College.

Outline for an Historical Survey of
Amherst County

I. ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS:

1. MOUNDS. EARTHWORKS. SITES.

Locate and give description of mounds, caves, quar-
ries, gravel-pits, burial-places, village sites, etc,

2. COLLECTIONS AND SPECIMENS.

Locate collections or stray specimens of arrow-heads,
stone and copper implements, axes, pottery, pipes,
fleshers, totems, etc.

II. HISTORICAL MATERIAL:

1. PUBLIC ARCHIVES.

Will books Marriage bonds

Deed books Land grants

Order books Land surveys

Judgment books Muster rolls

Special acts of legislature in regard to the county
Letters or petitions relating to the county

2. PRIVATE ARCHIVES.

Records of schools, colleges, companies, clubs, or any
private corporation.

3. OTHER MANUSCRIPTS OR PRINTED MATERIAL.

Old books Commissions

Pamphlets Ledgers

Magazines Farm records

Newspapers Parish records

Letters Directories

Diaries Placards

Scrapbooks Proclamations
Licenses

4. HISTORICAL RELICS.

Portraits Coverlets

Pictures Tools

Antiques Fire arms

Old China Agricultural implements

Old Furniture Vehicles

Samplers War relics

5. HISTORIC PLACES.

The first settlement in the community

Historic buildings Battlefields

Early churches Boundary lines

Old schools Birthplaces of famous peo-

Old inns pie

Old cemeteries Historic trees

Settlements that Old trails

"used to be" Trade and travel routes
Mill sites

6. TRADITIONAL HISTORY.

Memories of old inhabitants of the county.
Stories of the descendants of families that have lived
a long time in the country.

7. FOLK-WAYS.

Note especially the characteristics in speech and
social customs of each element in the population.

English :

Note the balladry, games, and collocations of speech

which are those of eighteenth century England ; and

any reproduction of the special idioms of any English
county.

Other European Peopi,es :

Keep the same things in mind for the Scotch, Irish,
and Welsh elements in the population ; and for the
people from each continental country.

Negro :

Note especially the music, the "Spirituals", the folk-

tales, the superstitions, — whatever connotes Africa, or
the survival in speech or customs of the earlier period of
slavery.

Indian :

Do any Indian words survive among the "Issues?"
Any Indian customs? Games? Oratory? Note any
of the ways or habits of thought which have survived
from an earlier civilization.

INDIAN PRESS

SURBER-ARUNOALE COk

CHAKLOTTESVILLC . VA.